At least 11 Palestinians have been killed since Wednesday afternoon in three separate Israeli strikes on the Gaza Strip. Two Hamas members were killed early Thursday in an Israeli strike near Beit Hanun. Hospital reports said five were injured.

Several hours earlier, an Israeli strike on a car traveling in the Zeitoun neighborhood Gaza City killed five Army of Islam activists. The Israeli army said in a statement that the car was carrying militants and rockets that were ready to be launched at Israel.

On Wednesday evening, four Palestinians were killed by an Israeli shell in the northern Gaza Strip town of Beit Hanun. Palestinians said at least 11 people were wounded in the shelling.

IDF tanks and bulldozers had also moved into the northern Gaza Strip near Beit Hanun.

The Palestinian casualties were the heaviest sustained in Gaza Strip since the Israeli government declared the coastal strip a "hostile territory", Haaretz reported.